What's Really in a Starbucks Coconut Milk Latte?

As a part-time Paleo dieter and coconut lover in general, I was pumped when I heard last month that Starbucks would be adding coconut milk to its non-dairy milk options. At last, an acceptable way to sip my morning latte! But when I got around to ordering one last week, I noticed something strange: An unnatural sweetness and funky aftertaste. So I decided to do some digging.

Bummer. This is similar to what you'd find in something like Silk Original Coconutmilk beverage that comes in a carton; not a true coconut milk, which generally comes in a can and only contains coconut milk and water.

So how does it stack up in terms of nutrition? "It's not horrible," says nutritionist Dana White, RD. "I think it's a nice option for people who need to avoid dairy and soy due to allergies or intolerances, but it's certainly a more processed product than regular cow's milk, so I wouldn't necessarily tell milk drinkers to make the switch."

A couple key things to keep in mind: Starbucks' coconut milk contains added sugars (cane sugar is the third ingredient), and it's low-protein—a 16 oz coconut milk latte has just 2 g, while a 2% milk latte has 12 g.

As far as other big coffee shops that offer soy-free and non-dairy milks: In 2014, Dunkin' Donuts started using Almond Breeze vanilla almondmilk, which lists cane sugar as the second ingredient (about 13 g per cup); and The Coffee Bean & Tea Leaf rolled out an almond-coconut milk blend—no nutritional information was available on its website, but based on the unnaturally delicious taste, I suspect added sweeteners.

There's a good chance alterna-milk options at coffee shops could expand, though: The dairy-alternative beverage market is forecast to reach $14 billion by 2018, according to a report by the U.S. market research company and consulting firm MarketsAndMarkets.

In the meantime, you'll probably have an easier time getting local coffee shops to bring in healthier non-dairy options, as they may have fewer obstacles before implementing a menu change. Or, you know, you can be like me and smuggle in your own organic, unsweetened almond or coconut milk. Just don't spill—you'll make a scene.

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